JPH11270670A - Transmission operating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lessen the necessary operating force of a change lever, eliminate dispersion in the operating force, enhance the feeling and easiness in the operation, and lessen the stroke required to make force assisting. SOLUTION: A transmission operating device is composed of a load sensor LS to sense the operating force to be transmitted from a change lever to an input rod 28 on the side with a force assisting device 1A and emit a load sensing signal, selector valves MVA and MVB to make supply and exhaust of a compressed air from an air tank AT to two power pressure chambersa 41a and 41b partitioned by a power piston 45 to slide within a cylinder 40, and a controller ECU which controls the motions of the selector valves upon receiving the load sensing signal. The operating force boosted by the assisting device 1A in accordance with the size of the operating force transmitted to the input rod 28 is transmitted to the output shaft 80 through a piston rod 47 and output lever 81.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transmission operation using a booster for increasing and outputting a shift operation force for shifting a transmission by operating an input shaft in an axial direction by operating a change lever. It concerns the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a transmission operation requires a greater force for a shift operation than a select operation. For this reason,
In particular, in a bus or a truck having a large transmission, a booster is incorporated in the transmission operating device, so that a smooth shift operation can be performed with a small force.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a conventional transmission operating booster in a non-operating state. The booster 1 includes a piston 4 that slides in a cylinder 3 attached to a housing 2 and a retainer ring 6
The two pressure chambers 7a and 7b are defined in the cylinder 3 by the piston 4 with the pistons 4a and 6b.

Further, the booster 1 has a pair of guide cylinders 18 and 19 fitted on the inner periphery of the rod 5, and a pair of fixed valve seats 22 and 23, a valve body 24 and 25 and valve lifters 26 and 27 slidably fitted to the inner circumferences of the corresponding guide cylinders 18 and 19. A pressing portion 32 for pressing the right valve lifter 26 is formed integrally with the input rod 28, and a pressing ring 33 for pressing the left valve lifter 27 is attached to the air pipe 30. The pair of valve bodies 24 and 25 are compression springs Sp ₁
The valve lifters 2
The return springs 6 and 27 are urged away from each other by respective return springs Sp ₂ and Sp ₂ .

[0005] The booster 1 includes a transmission 1 shown in FIG.
When the input rod 28 is moved in the direction of arrow P in FIG. 3 by operating the change lever 16, the air pipe 30 connected to the input rod 28 with the pin 10 is pulled, and The valve lifter 27 is pressed by the pressing ring 33 to separate the valve body 25 from the fixed valve seat 23. When the valve body 25 separates from the fixed valve seat 23, the compressed air constantly supplied to the compressed air supply port 29 enters the inside of the fixed valve seat 23 through the air pipe 30 and the through hole 31. The compressed air that has entered here is introduced into the left pressure chamber 7 b through one of the supply / exhaust holes 9 of the rod 5, and this pressure causes the rod 5 to move rightward via the piston 4.

At the same time as the piston 4 moves to the right, the air in the right pressure chamber 7a is supplied to the air supply / exhaust hole 8 of the rod 5, the air supply / exhaust hole 11a of the valve seat cylinder 11 fitted therein, and the valve lifter 26. , The gap between the outer circumference of the valve lifter 26 and the inner circumference of the fixed valve seat 22, the gap between the inner circumference of the valve lifter 26 and the outer circumference of the air pipe 30, the slit 26 a of the valve lifter 26 and the inside of the guide cylinder 18 sequentially to the outside. Is discharged.

When the rod 5 moves rightward, the rod 5
The striker (not shown) attached to the output shaft 8 is pushed rightward and moves, and an output lever similar to the output lever 81 shown in FIG.
Rotate around the output shaft similar to 0. Accordingly, the output shaft rotates about the axis thereof with the output lever by a predetermined angle from the neutral position, thereby performing a predetermined shift operation (gear shift).

When the shift lever 16 is released in a state where the rod 5 has completed the shift movement, the input rod 28 and the valve lifter 27 move to the left, and the valve body 25
Sits down. The air in the pressure chamber 7b is discharged to the outside through the inner peripheral portion of the valve lifter 27.

When the input rod 28 is moved in the direction of arrow Q shown in FIG. 3 from this state, the valve lifter 26 is pressed by the pressing portion 32 to move the valve body 24 away from the fixed valve seat 22. Is performed. At this time, the air in the pressure chamber 7b on the left side is supplied to the supply / exhaust hole 9 of the rod 5 and the supply / exhaust hole 12a of the valve seat tube 12 fitted inside thereof, the outer peripheral space of the valve lifter 27, the outer periphery of the valve lifter 27 and the fixed valve. The air passes through the gap between the inner circumference of the seat 23, the gap between the inner circumference of the valve lifter 27 and the outer circumference of the air pipe 30, the slit 27 a of the valve lifter 27 and the inside of the guide cylinder 19, and is discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 35.

[0010]

However, in the transmission operating device using the booster described above, the urging force of the compression spring Sp ₁ and the return spring Sp ₂ and the valve lifters 26 and 27 during the valve opening operation of the valve body. Due to the frictional resistance of the O-ring 37 and the like on the outer periphery of the control lever 16, the required operation force on the change lever 16 becomes excessive or the operation force varies, which has a problem that the operation feeling is adversely affected. . Also,
When the valve bodies 24, 25 are opened and closed, the gaps 38, 38 exist between the valve lifters 26, 27 and the valve bodies 24, 25, so that the required stroke amount is large and the stroke amount varies, thereby impairing operability. There was a disadvantage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the required operating force on a change lever during a shift operation, to eliminate variations in the operating force and stroke amount, and to double the shift force. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transmission operating device that can reduce the stroke amount required for applying force and has good operation feeling and operability.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention increases the shift operation force for shifting the input rod in the axial direction by operating a change lever to shift the transmission, thereby increasing the output. Using a booster, the booster has a piston that defines two pressure chambers in the cylinder and a piston rod connected to the piston,
A transmission operating device for supplying compressed air to one of the pressure chambers and discharging air from the other pressure chamber to operate the booster, and to rotate and shift the output shaft based on the movement of the piston rod. A load sensor that detects an operation force transmitted from the change lever to the input rod and outputs a load detection signal, a switching valve for supplying and discharging air to and from the two pressure chambers, and the load detection signal And a controller for controlling the operation of the switching valve in response to the operation force, wherein the booster transmits the increased operating force to the output shaft according to the magnitude of the operating force transmitted to the input rod. And

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A transmission operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing a connection relationship between a booster device and a related device which are shown in a longitudinal section of a transmission operating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The transmission operating device includes a booster 1A that moves the input rod 28 in the axial direction by operating a change lever to increase and output a shift operation force, and an air tank AT for supplying compressed air to the cylinder 40.
And a load sensor LS for detecting an operation force transmitted from the change lever to the input rod 28 and outputting a load detection signal.
And two switching valves MVA and MVB for supplying and discharging air to and from the two power pressure chambers 41a and 41b, and both switching valves MVA and MVB receiving the load detection signal from the load sensor LS.
A controller that controls the operation of the MVB (hereinafter, “ECU” is used as a simple symbol representing the operation).

The transmission operating device includes an input rod 2
The booster 1 </ b> A outputs the increased operating force according to the magnitude of the operating force transmitted to 8, and transmits the increased operating force to the output shaft 80 via the piston rod 47 and the output lever 81.

The booster 1A has three holes 41 to 4 formed by two partition walls 40b and 40c between both end walls 40a and 40d.
The two power pressure chambers 41 are formed by a cylinder 40 in which a plurality of pressure chambers 3 are formed in series and a power piston 45 in a first hole 41.
a, 41b and two damper pressure chambers 42a, 4 by a damper piston 46 in the second hole 42.
2b, and a power piston 45 and a damper piston 46 are fixed to a common piston rod 47.

The cylinder 40 has two power pressure chambers 41.
Supply and discharge holes 49a and 49b and small orifices 50a and 50b are formed in the peripheral wall portions corresponding to the a and 41b and the two damper pressure chambers 42a and 42b, and the supply and discharge holes 49a communicating with the two power pressure chambers 41a and 41b. , 49b are connected to switching valves MVA, MVB, and a breathing hole 56 is formed in a peripheral wall portion corresponding to the third hole 43. A filter 57 is provided in the breathing hole 56, and a piston 57 is provided through one end wall 40a. The rod 47 protrudes, and the end wall 40a and each partition 40
An annular seal member 61 is fitted in an annular groove along the inner periphery of the center holes of b and 40c.

In the cylinder 40, an annular groove 65 is formed along the inner periphery of the second hole 42 at an intermediate position in the axial direction, and an adjustment pressure chamber 66 is provided outside the outer peripheral wall. The air tank AT is connected to a communication hole 66 a of the adjustment pressure chamber 66 via a valve 69 and a pipe 70. Both pistons 45 and 46 are provided with annular seal members 62 in annular grooves provided on the outer periphery.
Is fitted. The annular groove 65 in the second hole 42 has a width dimension slightly larger than the dimension between both end faces of the damper piston 46, and the annular seal member on the outer periphery of the damper piston 46 when the position of the damper piston 46 exactly matches. The depth dimension is set so as to form an annular passage 76 between the first and second passages 62.

The piston rod 47 has one end protruding from the end wall 40a joined to an intermediate portion of an output lever 81 for rotating the output shaft 80 with a joining pin 82, and the other end located in the third hole 43. , Slidably penetrates the center of the end wall 40 a of the cylinder 40 and the two partition walls 40 b and 40 c in an airtight state, and transmits an operating force increased based on the pressure received by the power piston 45 to the output lever 81. .

The load sensor LS is mounted on an input rod 28 joined to the tip of an output lever 81 with a joining pin 83, and detects an axial operating force transmitted to the input rod 28, that is, a load. Is converted into a voltage and output as a load detection signal, which is sent to the controller ECU.

The two switching valves MVA, MVB are electropneumatic proportional solenoid valves of the same type, and are connected to the air tank AT by a line 85.
, An output port 88 connected to the supply / discharge holes 49a, 49b of the cylinder 40 via a conduit 86, and an open port 89 to the atmosphere, and a feedback circuit 90 is provided. ing. And the switching valve M
VA and MVB supply compressed air having a pressure proportional to the current value supplied to the electromagnetic coil 91 to the air tank A in the ON state.
A switching operation is performed to supply power from T to the corresponding power pressure chambers 41a and 41b. Also, the switching valve MVA,
In the off state, the MVB opens the corresponding power pressure chambers 41a and 41b to the atmosphere.

The controller ECU is connected to the load sensor LS by an electric wire 91 and connected to both switching valves M through another electric wire 92.
VA, MVB, receives a load detection signal from a load sensor LS that detects a load associated with a shift operation force transmitted to the input rod 28 by operating a change lever,
The load detection signal is converted into a current, and a current corresponding to the magnitude of the shift operation force is supplied to the electromagnetic coil 91 to control the switching operation of the two switching valves MVA and MVB.

The operation of the transmission operating device according to the above embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the neutral state, that is, in the neutral state, as shown in FIG.
VB is off, the power piston 45 is located at the center of the first hole 41, and both power pressure chambers 41a, 41b
Have almost the same volume and no compressed air.

When the input rod 28 is pressed from this neutral state and tries to move leftward in FIG. 1 due to the compressive force, the load sensor LS detects the compressive load, and a load detection signal is sent to the controller ECU. Controller ECU
, The right switching valve MVA is turned on, and accordingly, compressed air is supplied to the right power pressure chamber 41a. This compressed air sends the power piston 45 to the left by pressure, and releases the air in the left power pressure chamber 41b to the atmosphere. Accordingly, the piston rod 47 moves leftward in FIG. When the piston rod 47 moves to the left, the output lever 81 rotates clockwise, and the output shaft 80 also rotates in the same direction to perform a shift operation. In this shift operation, for example, when the input load is 5 k
It is possible to supply between 1 and 9 kg / cm ² of compressed air between g and 15 kg.

In the shift operation, the damper pressure chamber 4
2a and 42b are always set pressures, the damper piston 46 moves leftward from the center position of the second hole 42,
The gap 76 on the outer periphery of the damper piston 46 is closed, and the damper pressure chamber 4 on the left side passes through both orifices 50a and 50b.
The compressed air gradually flows from 2b to the damper pressure chamber 42a on the right side, whereby the damper function is exhibited, and the sudden movement of the power piston 45 is reduced.

When the change lever is returned to the neutral position after the shift operation, the load sensor LS detects a compressive load when the input rod 28 receives a tensile force and attempts to move rightward in FIG. A signal is sent to the controller ECU. The left switching valve MVB is turned on by the current from the controller ECU, and the right switching valve M
VA is turned off, and accordingly, the left power pressure chamber 4
1b is supplied with compressed air. This compressed air sends the power piston 45 to the right by pressure, and the right power pressure chamber 4
The air in 1a is released into the atmosphere. Accordingly, the piston rod 47 moves rightward in FIG. 1, and the power piston 45 returns to the center position. By this return, the tensile force applied to the input rod 28 is released, and the left switching valve MVB is also turned off.

When the input rod 28 receives a tensile force and moves to the right in FIG. 1 from the neutral state, the load sensor LS detects a tensile load, and a load detection signal is sent to the controller ECU. The left switching valve MVB is turned on by the current from the controller ECU, and compressed air is supplied to the left power pressure chamber 41b accordingly.
This compressed air pressure-feeds the power piston 45 to release the air in the right power pressure chamber 41a into the atmosphere. Accordingly, the piston rod 47 moves rightward in FIG.

When the piston rod 47 moves rightward, the output lever 81 rotates clockwise, and the output shaft 80 also rotates in the same direction to perform a shift operation. In the shift operation, the damper piston 46 moves rightward from the center position of the second hole 42, the gap 76 on the outer periphery of the damper piston 46 is closed, and the right or left damper pressure chamber 42a passes through the orifices 50a and 50b. The compressed air gradually flows into the damper pressure chamber 42b, whereby the damper function is exhibited, and the sudden movement of the power piston 45 is reduced.

According to the transmission operation device according to the first embodiment, the return spring a pair of valve body 24 and 25 shown in FIG. 3, a pair of valve lifters 26, 27, a compression spring Sp ₁ S
for p _2, etc. is not required, the structure of the booster 1A is very simple and inexpensive, the damper can not twist in the damper function is not required neutral state, in particular when the shift operation of the transmission (the gear-on)
Activate the damper function only when necessary in
There is an advantage that sudden acceleration of the piston rod 47 can be prevented.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a transmission operating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a connection relation diagram with a booster and its related devices. This transmission operating device is different from the first embodiment in that the two switching valves MVa and MVb are on / off solenoid valves, and the other components are the same. The switching valves MVa and MVb are turned on by a current output by the controller ECU receiving the load detection signal from the load sensor LS, and in this on state, compressed air of a constant pressure is supplied from the air tank AT to the power pressure chamber 41.
The supply pressure is supplied to one of the power pressure chambers 41a and 41b, and an operation for opening the other of the power pressure chambers 41a and 41b to the atmosphere in an off state is performed. In the case of the second embodiment, by setting the load sensor LS, a light force and a small stroke amount can be used.
The switching valves MVa and MVb are turned on, and the power pressure chamber 41 is turned on.
There is an advantage that compressed air can be supplied to a and 41b.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without adding new matter. For example, instead of providing the load sensor LS on the input rod 28 on the side of the booster 1A, the load sensor LS may be provided on a portion of the link 17 directly connected to the change lever 16 shown in FIG. This makes it easier to mount the load sensor LS.

[0031]

According to the present invention, there is provided a load sensor for detecting a manipulation force transmitted from a change lever to an input rod and outputting a load detection signal, a switching valve for supplying and discharging air to and from two pressure chambers, By providing a controller that receives the load detection signal and controls the operation of the switching valve, the booster transmits an increased operating force to the output shaft according to the magnitude of the operating force transmitted to the input rod, During shift operation, the required operating force on the change lever is reduced,
Variations in the operation force and the stroke amount can be eliminated, and the stroke amount required for boosting can be reduced, resulting in an effect of good operation feeling and operability.
In addition, by selecting an electro-pneumatic proportional solenoid valve as a switching valve, the booster can accurately transmit the increased operating force to the output shaft in accordance with the load, and select an on / off solenoid valve as the switching valve. As a result, it is possible to provide a transmission device that is simple and inexpensive, and the booster is provided with a damper that uses air pressure to mitigate sudden movement of the piston, thereby enabling rapid movement of the piston. Can be surely alleviated. Then, the load for starting the operation of the booster can be set freely.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a connection relationship between a booster device and a related device which are shown in a longitudinal section of a transmission operating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a transmission operating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a coupling relationship with a booster and its related devices.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a non-operating state of a conventional transmission operating booster.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a conventional transmission and a transmission operating device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 AT Air tank ECU Controller LS Load sensor MVA, MVB Switching valve 1A Transmission operating booster 28 Input rod 40 Cylinder 41 First holes 41a, 41b Power pressure chamber 42 Second holes 42a, 42b Damper pressure chamber 45 Power piston 45 damper piston 47 piston rod 50a, 50b orifice 65 annular groove 66 adjustment pressure chamber 76 annular passage 80 output shaft

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A booster that shifts an input rod in an axial direction by operating a change lever to increase a shift operation force for shifting a transmission and outputs the shift operation force. It has a piston defined by two pressure chambers and a piston rod connected to the piston,
A transmission operating device for supplying compressed air to one of the pressure chambers and discharging air from the other pressure chamber to operate the booster, and to rotate and shift the output shaft based on the movement of the piston rod. A load sensor that detects an operation force transmitted from the change lever to the input rod and outputs a load detection signal, a switching valve for supplying and discharging air to and from the two pressure chambers, and the load detection signal And a controller for controlling the operation of the switching valve in response to the operation force, wherein the booster transmits the increased operating force to the output shaft according to the magnitude of the operating force transmitted to the input rod. Transmission operating device. 2. The transmission operating device according to claim 1, wherein one of an electropneumatic proportional solenoid valve and an on / off solenoid valve is selected as the switching valve. 3. The transmission operating device according to claim 1, wherein the booster includes a damper for alleviating a sudden movement of the piston by using air pressure.